Napa River Grill

Chef Pete' joined others last night for a small birthday celebration. They went to the  Napa River Grill in Louisville. Noted for it's fine dining. A great place to go. Needless to say, he enjoyed it and was inspired not only by the volume of food but the presentation. What you have here is Ratatouille served on half of a spaghetti squash, accompanied by grilled tomato's with basil and maybe a type of pesto or salsa (not sure if I got that part).. His opinion: looks good, tastes great, lots of food, more tomato's. No doubt a veggie dish. Impresssive, and a lead in to a previous blog about Farmer Fred's recipe now with spaghetti squash.

A side note to this. Chef Pete' ordered a $28 bottle of red zinfandel. The birthday boy ordered a $90 + bottle of Pinot Noir. Yum. What a fun time. One of these days we'll discuss the fine wines from the obscure Gayeski winery.

OMG

It is hard to believe that Chef  Pete', a contibuting guest editor, would submit this as a post.

Chilled dough.

2 hours in a bag in the frig.

(delicious!)

 

Yes, he is talking about raw dough, how it is too elastic at first and needs to rise and become substantial before consuming. . I give him credit. It's easy and brings out the kid in us. I think one of his sayings is that you can be immature all of your life. I have a feeling he used to be the one to lick the icing bowl too. Any bets?

A favorite with possibilities

Spanokopita.  A greek dish that could be an appetizer, a side dish or a meal unto itself. Plus, you can be creative and add to this recipe. The last time I made it I included a layer of fresh sliced tomato's and sliced black olives. It was wonderful. Don't be itimidated by the filo dough. It's easy to use (don't let it dry out, work fast or cover the unused portions with a towel)  You can also make the dish a few hours ahead of time and cover. Keep it in the refrig until ready to cook.

As a side note, the recipe came out of  Betty Crocker's International Cookbook. One that I had for a long time. I just love when a cookbook has pictures. It gives you a good idea of what it should look like and think what it should taste like.  The book has numerous international recipes that I like to try. Sometimes, it is just fun to browse through the book.

A Twist with French Onion Soup

It's hard for me to imagine that you can't get hooked on the sweet, beefy and cheesy flavor of French Onion Soup. Sometimes it is a little difficult to get through the melted cheese to eat it, but I always think it worthwhile. Bottom line, there are lots of recipes on how to make it. What I want to share is a meal that my sister had at a restaurant in Harrisburg, PA. Granted I never had it there but recreated, at home, what she described to me. It has become one of our usual favorites. It's a very substantial and satisfying Roast Beef Sandwich/Onion Soup/ Au Jus combination.

Here goes.
Sautee a bunch of sliced onions in a 50-50 butter & olive oil combination.
In another pot start the broth.
     1 can Campbells French onion soup
      1 pkg Lipton dried onion soup (or 1/2 depending on your tastes)
      1 cup beef broth
       2 cups water
       As much white wine or sherry as to your taste
      Simmer for a while
After the onions are sauteed put half in the broth save the other half for the sandwich.

ASSEMBLY TIME
         Do individual bowls (big bowls)
          Layer each plate with a slice of bread (I like Ciabata)
          Sliced roast beef slices (From Deli or Costco has great and flavorful slices)
          An equal portion of the remaing onions on each heap
          Add the Beef broth combo
          Top with cheese ( I like Gruyere rather than swiss)
          Put bowls on large cookie sheet & broil until cheese melts
          Serve topped with French Fried onions as garnish.

Enjoy, you can't screw it up. Go with what looks and tastes good to you.

IF YOU HAVEN"T DONE SO--ENLARGE THE PHOTO & READ THE HINTS ON THE PHOTO, WHICH (BTW) IS OUT OF FINE COOKING (OCT/NOV 2009)

New territory

Chef Pete' has embarked on an adventure to discover new gastronomic treats. This week , he and some young chick are in Northern Michigan. Take a look at the start of the weekend.

"The Late Show"

It only seems appropriate to share this collectors item with you at this time. Enjoy some of the humor and recipes..